81: Xiong Family

On the wide streets, the City Defense Patrol was diligently and tirelessly guarding every street in Weiyang City.

Their eyes were sharp, scrutinizing every inch of the street, yet they completely overlooked the dense black mist that flowed silently, almost pressed against the wall.

The black mist on the Alien Queen was like the most exquisite illusion, distorting light and interfering with perception.

In the eyes of the patrol soldiers, that area was merely a little darker than elsewhere, or brushed by an insignificant night breeze, not enough to arouse the slightest alarm.

The black mist, like living water, moved quickly along the huge shadows cast by buildings, sometimes merging with the faint white vapor emanating from sewer openings, and at other times, like wind-blown fallen leaves, sweeping across empty plazas.

When encountering towering walls or wide moats, the Alien Queen did not even need to slow down; the black mist, as if possessing a physical form, would either cling to the vertical wall like a gecko and silently glide upwards, or flow directly over the water's surface like running water, without causing the slightest ripple.

The Alien Queen, a pseudo-Transcendent-level being, had reached an unbelievable level of precision in her mental power control and adaptability to the environment; moving stealthily with one person was as easy as breathing for her.

Lin Feng, enveloped in this absolutely safe dark sanctuary, felt his heart as still as water.

He didn't need to worry about the path, didn't need to worry about being detected; he only needed to immerse his entire being in the approaching storm.

The Xiong Family's act of harboring The Fallen and attempting to harm his parents had completely ignited his killing intent.

His disguise as a calm high school student was completely torn off; at this moment, he only wanted to eliminate this threat.

He didn't know how much time had passed; perhaps it was only a short ten-odd minutes, or perhaps as long as a century.

The flowing black mist suddenly stopped.

Ahead, a vast manor appeared at the end of their vision.

Unlike the surrounding modern high-rise buildings, this manor exuded a heavy sense of history.

Tall, ancient brick walls, marked by the passage of time, stretched out to both sides, disappearing into the distance.

Inside the walls, flying eaves and intricate brackets were faintly visible, ancient trees soared to the sky, and their branches, like coiling dragons, extended over the wall, casting menacing shadows in the night.

Two massive vermilion-lacquered gates, studded with heavy bronze nails, were tightly shut, and in front of them crouched two ferocious stone beasts, exuding an eerie aura under the dim moonlight.

Above the lintel, a huge plaque hung high, with two gilded characters written in a vigorous, flowing script… Xiong Manor!

This was the foundation of the Xiong Family, the colossal power that had been entrenched in Weiyang City for many years.

An invisible pressure, imbued with the arrogance and ruthless aura of an aristocratic family, subtly permeated even through the walls.

Lin Feng hid in the deepest shadow of the corner, the black mist enveloping him completely.

He looked at the Alien Queen beside him.

The Queen tilted her head slightly, and in her deep compound eyes, the dark purple glow suddenly became incredibly bright and profound, like two miniature stars.

A vast, suffocating mental power, like an invisible tide, silently spread out from her, instantly covering the entire Xiong Manor!

This mental power was so subtle, so hidden; it did not stir any energy fluctuations, did not trigger any physical defense alarms, but like the most precise probe, it directly penetrated every inch of the manor's land, every building, every corner, scanning for life signatures and energy intensities within.

In Lin Feng's mind, through their mental link, a clear energy distribution map of the Xiong Manor, outlined by pure mental power, instantly appeared!

It was densely packed!

Like fireflies in the night!

In the outer areas of the manor, hundreds of relatively faint light points were scattered, like stardust, representing a large number of Silver-level guards.

They guarded the walls, passages, and watchtowers, overtly or covertly, forming a strict first line of defense.

Interspersed among them were some even dimmer light points, which were Bronze-level or even Black Iron Level servants and laborers.

And in the core area of the manor, the brightness of the light points suddenly increased!

Seven or eight lights, like small torches, burned quietly in different directions deep within the manor!

Each one emitted a rich, condensed, and oppressive energy fluctuation—Gold-level!

Some of these lights were as calm as deep pools, lurking in places like meditation rooms or studies.

Others were as scorching as a furnace, located in training grounds or the residences of guard captains.

Still others carried a hint of cold, eerie aura, hidden in deeper, more secret corners.

These Gold-level powerhouses were the true backbone of the Xiong Family, the pillars supporting this colossal entity.

However, just as Lin Feng's perception was about to cover the entire core area, the Alien Queen's mental scan seemed to touch something!

In the deepest part of the manor, within a quiet small building surrounded by layers of courtyards, as if independent of the entire residence.

An existence that could not be described as a "torch" suddenly appeared in Lin Feng's perception!

It was an existence like… a dormant volcano!

His aura was extremely restrained, like ten-thousand-year-old profound ice, terrifyingly calm, but the energy contained within was as vast as an ocean, as majestic as a mountain!

Just the unintentional touch of mental power made Lin Feng's heart palpitate, as if he were gazing into a bottomless dark vortex!

The intensity of this aura far surpassed those Gold-level "torches," reaching a completely new, awe-inspiring level!

Pseudo-Transcendent-level!

Lin Feng's pupils suddenly contracted.

The Xiong Family actually had such a terrifying existence hidden away?

This old man's aura seemed to be only a hair's breadth from that of the Alien Queen!

No wonder the Xiong Family had stood strong for so many years; besides their overt strength, this old monster was their true stabilizing force!

Just then, in that quiet small building, the aura like a dormant volcano seemed to fluctuate ever so slightly!

It was as if a sleeping behemoth, disturbed in its dream by an extremely faint breeze from afar, was about to awaken!

The dark purple glow in the Alien Queen's eyes instantly receded, and the mental power covering the entire Xiong Manor silently withdrew like a tide, leaving no trace.

She looked at Lin Feng, and an extremely solemn thought was conveyed through their mental link.

"Master, although my scan was covert, at such close range, the other party might have developed an extremely faint sensation."

Lin Feng's heart sank sharply.

Discovered?

No, it should only have aroused a hint of the other party's instinctive vigilance, like being lightly touched by a mosquito while sleeping, not enough to fully awaken them.

This minor change didn't matter; the appearance of this pseudo-Transcendent-level professional only extinguished Lin Feng's plan to secretly eliminate the Xiong Family.

The process is not important!

Only the result matters!

Lin Feng took a deep breath, and the cold night wind filled his lungs.

He glanced at the tightly shut, vermilion-lacquered gates, symbolizing the Xiong Family's power and arrogance, then looked towards the terrifying aura hidden deep within the manor, a cruelly cold arc forming on his lips.

In the darkness, hundreds of various monstrous beasts descended upon the Xiong Manor…